Problem statement - The role of NGOs in fighting child poverty : a case study of slums in Meru

The government of Kenya through the Kenya Slum Upgrade Programme (KENSUP) has undertaken slum-upgrading projects in several urban areas since 2004 in collaboration with various NGOs in a bid to address the slum poverty (Candiracci and Syrjanen, 2007). While there have been consistent efforts from the Kenyan government and NGOs to address slum issues such as improved water supply, sanitation, food security and education, little gains have been achieved in the wider transformation agenda to fight child poverty in the slums.

Oxfam (2009) cites uncoordinated implementation of programmes, lack of clear mandate among the many players operating in the urban sector and the absence of a robust urban development policy in Kenya. As a result, Oxfam (2009) indicate that slum dwellers are among the poorest people in Kenya and will represent half of the total poverty by 2020 if effective mitigation measures are not undertaken. More concern lies in the long-term effects that slum poverty pose to the holistic development of children. Continued existence in slum conditions exposes children to unsafe water sources and unhygienic surroundings making them more vulnerable to diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Moreover, children in urban areas are at a higher risk of lacking access to essential services such as education and health, water, sanitation and housing even when they live close to them (UNICEF, 2016). NGOs have been among the key players working to address child poverty in the slums (Banks, Hulme and Edwards, 2015) however, there exists fundamental questions regarding their ability to meet long-term slum transformation. There are concerns that NGOs remain poorly placed to influence the real drivers of social change because they are hindered by lack of legitimacy and the dynamics within aid architecture which force them to account to donors instead of local communities. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate the role of NGOs in combating child poverty in the slums of Meru town, Kenya.

5 1.3 Research objectives and questions

1. To investigate the meaning of poverty according to NGOs and slum dwellers.

a. How do NGOs and slum people define child poverty and poverty in general?

2. To assess the Kenyan policy in relation to NGOs work in alleviating child poverty.

a. What are the frame conditions for the NGOs working in Kenyan slums?

b. What is the relationship between the NGOs and government agencies?

3. To find out the kind of programmes do the NGOs operate to fight child poverty in the slums?

a. What kind of programmes do NGO implement to fight child poverty in slums?

b. What specific activities do NGOs use to achieve the objectives of these programmes?

4. To assess the effectiveness of NGO programmes in alleviating child poverty in slums.

a. What is the impact of NGO programmes in alleviating child poverty?

b. What are the main obstacles facing NGO programmes?

1.4 Rationale of the study

The findings of this study will highlight the need for further research in child poverty in the slums. Moreover, I hope that it will inform future policy within the state, NGOs and other stakeholders combating child poverty in the slums. Nevertheless, I am aware that this is a relatively small research study whose findings are not generalizable. I hope that finding of this study will create personal insight on the status of life among people living in slums in Meru and increase understanding on the role of NGOs in fighting child poverty in particular in medium and small urban settings since focus is largely on big cities.

1.5 Scope of the study

I set the scope of this study to cover 4 NGOs, 6 NGO representatives, 41 NGO Programme beneficiaries i.e. parents/guardians all from slums within Meru town and 2 Meru county government officials.

1.6 Thesis outline

This thesis is organised in five chapters beginning with chapter one which highlights introduction, background of the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions and significance of the study. This is followed by chapter two which

contains the conceptual framework and reviewed literature on child poverty, NGOs and development theory, slums as a policy issue, effectiveness of NGOs, NGOs as partners or competitors of the state and challenges facing NGOs. Chapter three highlights the research methodology. The topics covered under this section include: the research context; research paradigm and design; research participants; research settings; data collection tools and procedures; data analysis procedures; validity issues, researcher’s identity, ethical considerations and limitations of the study. Chapter four covers the presentation of the main findings of the study with the following sub topic: understanding poverty, Kenyan policy and frame conditions for NGOs, NGO programmes and activities, effectiveness of NGOs in the slums. Chapter five covers the discussion of the study in the context of theory and relevant literature reviewed in chapter two and lastly, chapter six present the conclusions of the study.

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction

This chapter contains definition of key concepts and reviewed literature on child poverty, slums as a policy issue, NGOs and development theory, effectiveness of NGOs, NGO programmes and activities and challenges facing NGOs.

2.1 Definition of key concepts NGOs

Private voluntary grouping of individuals, not operated for profit or for other commercial purposes, but which have organized themselves nationally or internationally for the benefit of the public at large and for the promotion of social welfare, development charity or research in the areas inclusive of, but not restricted to, health, relief, agriculture, education, industry and the supply of amenities and services (Kenyan NGO Act, 2012).

Vakil (1997 pg. 2060) states too that NGOs are self-governing, private, not-for-profit organizations that are geared towards improving the quality of life for disadvantaged people.

Urban Poverty

Nair and Radhakrishnan (2004 pg.227) define urban poverty as the outcome of a combination of several kinds of insecurity or handicap that affect several aspects of daily life such as access to employment, housing, health care, education, culture, justice and family protection usually characterized by substandard housing, overcrowding, poor water, sanitation and sewage disposal facilities.

Child Poverty

UNICEF and KNBS (2017), states that child poverty refers to the non-fulfillment of the rights listed in the UNCRC (UN, 1989) measured by use of the Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA) methodology which measures poverty at individual level rather than household level where different dimensions and indicators of child deprivation for different age groups of children considering their needs vary depending on age. Similarly, UNICEF (2005, pg. 18), rather than using the concept child poverty instead uses “children living in poverty” which encompasses the experience of deprivation of the material, spiritual and emotional resources needed to survive develop and thrive, leaving them unable to enjoy

their rights, achieve their full potential or participate as full and equal members of society.

This thesis is largely inclined towards the concept of children living in poverty as defined by UNICEF because of its all-inclusive approach to all deprivations that children face.

Slums

The UN-Habitat (2015, pg.2) defines a slum as a household or a group of individuals living under the same roof facing one or more of these deprivations: lack of access to improved water, lack of access to improved sanitation facilities, insufficient living area (not overcrowded), lack of durable housing and lack of security of tenure.

2.2 Child Poverty

To understand child poverty, statistics and definitions are crucial. According to UNDP (1990), the concept of poverty is complex and tends to elicit conflicting definitions and considerable disagreement in terms of framings, methodologies, and measurements. These conflictions involve aspects of poverty at the individual or collective level such as income, capabilities, and quality of life (Laderchi et al, 2003). Hall and Midgley (2004) argue that one-dimension poverty is referred to as income poverty because the focus is on the level of consumption of food, access to shelter and clothing for survival with the sole aim of quantifying these aspects of livelihood into a currency threshold usually agreed universally.

In contrast, Lang and Lingnau (2015) posit that multi-dimension poverty focuses on composite issues related to inadequacies in various spheres of life such as living standards, job, medical-health, income, nutrition, education, housing and assets, power and security among others. In recent time, poverty measurements have gained ability to capture multidimensional characteristics of poverty particularly deprivations such as hunger, illiteracy, unclean drinking water, lack of access to health, credit, or legal services, social exclusion, and disempowerment have revolutionised the analytical lens to the dynamics of poverty and its institutionalization within social and political norms (World Bank, 2001).

World Bank (2018) posits that about 1 out of 3 people in Kenya live below the international poverty line US$ 1.90 reached at via measurements of household purchasing power parity.

Hickel (2015) assert that what counts as poverty (the ‘poverty line) is normally calculated by each country and is supposed to reflect the total cost of all of the essential resources that an average human adult need to subsist and tends to omit the element of the cost of essentials per child. However, measuring multidimensional poverty is complex and faces several challenges. The United Nations (2014) assert that the use of household surveys risk

undermining the poverty estimates since there exist inequalities between those who are counted and those who are left out. Similarly, Carr-Hill (2013) acknowledges that it is possible that some groups maybe underrepresented including slum dwellers. While income-based poverty measures provide a fair sense of which part of the population may have unmet needs and where they are located, these measures however fail to capture the dynamic aspects of poverty in terms of the cause and extent of deprivation, risk factors and the coping strategies employed (Baker and Schuler, 2004). Baker and Schuler (2004) highlight that education (literacy and enrollment rates), health (life expectancy), housing (water supply and sewage facilities), income (inequality and population under the poverty line) and infant mortality are key indicators that can be used as an analytical framework to measure poverty.

Statistics indicate that 9.5 million Kenyan children (45%) experienced child poverty by 2014 in which 19% lived in urban areas (UNICEF and KNBS, 2017). In general, UNICEF (2016) asserts that if the world does not tackle inequity, over 167 million children will live in extreme poverty by 2030. According to (UNICEF and World Bank, 2016), children are more than twice as likely as adults to live in extreme poverty. White, Leavy and Masters (2003) assert that two reasons make it important that child poverty is central to poverty reduction strategies. Firstly, children form one-third of population in developing countries. Secondly, children are the largest minority group whose voice is often unheard despite their numbers therefore making it essential to focus on their rights. The very first global debate on child poverty took place at The World Summit for Children, attended by 159 country countries and 71 heads of state or government. During the summit, a declaration and plan of action including goals related to infant and maternal mortality, childhood malnutrition, access to basic services for health and family planning, education, and water and sanitation were adopted (UNICEF, 1990). UNICEF (2005) points out that although children are the hardest hit, child poverty is rarely differentiated from poverty in general and its special dimensions are seldom recognized but the concept “children living in poverty” is predominantly used instead. The concept of “children living in poverty” is based on child rights as entrenched in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989). In this context, deprivations of children’s rights to survival, health and nutrition, education, participation, and protection from harm, exploitation and discrimination is perceived as child poverty. UNCRC (1989) was adopted by the UN General Assembly and ratified by all countries except the USA and Somalia and declares that all children have rights regardless of their circumstances (UNICEF,

2005). In this regard, it seeks to guarantee rights to education, healthcare, decent housing, clean water, housing, education and non-discrimination among others (UNICEF, 2005). In this light, the convention holds the bearers as responsible for ensuring that children’s rights are fulfilled and protected.

UNICEF and KNBS (2017) assert that the latest surveys in Kenya indicate that sanitation, housing and water were the highest contributors of child poverty followed nutrition health, stunting and education. UNICEF (2016) contends that when viewed from the perspective of a child, the exact definition of poverty becomes immaterial because being deprived is damaging to a child’s development, particularly when deprivations are experienced in early childhood years. It is argued that deprivations that begin in childhood can be felt throughout lifetime in which children who grow up deprived not only have limited opportunities to fulfil their potential but are also likely to fall into the same poverty cycle (UNICEF, 2016).

Accordingly, the children’s experience of risk and deprivation is shaped by four broad characteristics of childhood poverty and vulnerability, multidimensionality, embracing both monetary and non-monetary aspects of poverty, changes over the course of the lifecycle, the relational nature of childhood derived from the situation of dependence on adults, and the voiceless-ness that characterises children’s status in society (UNICEF, 2009). Hirsch (2006) claim that the main influences on the level of child poverty are demographic processes, family formation, unemployment rates, benefit and retraining levels, childcare services and housing costs, which are determined by the economy and/or government social policy.

Therefore, expanding the definition of child poverty beyond traditional conceptualizations, such as low household income or low levels of consumption is particularly important.

Besides, Banik and Hansen (2016) argue that examining why extreme poverty continues to persist in the poorest countries of the world mainly in Sub- Saharan Africa is a possible beginning point to understanding why combating poverty continues to be a challenge.

2.3 NGOs and Development Theory

Lewis and Kanji (2009) asserts that NGOs have usually been associated more with development practice than with development theory. I find it significant to look at NGOs in relation to the state and the broader trends within the evolution of thinking about development, because linking NGOs to theoretical ideas about development makes it possible

to gain critical insight into the world of development NGOs (Lewis and Kanji, 2009) which are part of this study.

2.3.1 NGOs and dependency theory

According to Peet and Hartwick (2015), dependency theory is anchored on a neo-Marxist ideology which a relationship between the third world countries and their Europe or western counterparts is portrayed as being fundamental for them to become modernised. Apparently, the historical European civilization of the world brought with it exploitation of valuable resources and loss of control of social institutions in most developing countries and consequently resulted in dependence on the rich western nations since most states could no longer sustain themselves (Lewis and Kanji, 2009). The notion of dependency aligns within the Marxists perspective that the difference between the modern world and Africa is purely technological and determined by the international division of labour where the west expects the developing countries to provide labour and raw materials for their expansive industries while developing countries consumes products from the West (Peet and Hartwick, 2015).

Critics of dependency theory argue that it underestimates possible internal factors that could influence development in these countries, moreover dependency theory focuses on issues around official development aid (ODA) from the developed world and the power interplay within global politics that comes with aid (Peet and Hartwick, 2015).

Moyo (2009) asserts that we live in a world with a culture of aid in which those who are better off subscribe both mentally and financially to the notion that giving alms to the poor is the right thing to do. She argues that every year billions of dollars of development-related aid are transferred from rich countries to Africa and partly distributed as charity to institutions or people in their communities. She observes that sub-Saharan African countries received more than US$300 billion in development assistance since 1970, however the poverty rate rose from 11 per cent to a staggering 66 per cent with many countries experiencing annual economic growth rate of minus 0.2 per cent. Moyo (2009) is deeply unconvinced that humanitarian aid is the way to resolve the poverty crisis within poor African countries. In the same vain, Shanmugaratnam (1995) posit that international organisations and governments have continuously raised financial resources to send to Africa for poverty alleviation and eradication programmes, education, medical services and establishment of infrastructure.

Nevertheless, lack of capacity, corruption, volatile markets, political instability and harsh climatic conditions has been blamed for Africa’s relatively slow development and soaring

poverty making many countries in sub-Saharan African overly dependent on donor aid.

Lipton and Toye (1990), do not agree with the belief that foreign aid increases the potential of a country’s economic growth and development. They assert that domestic capital supersedes foreign aid capital and more importantly suggest that countries should shun aid because foreign aid led growth models are biased towards the capital-intensive growth strategy which disregards the myriad of the sociocultural, political and global obstacles to development, inadequate level of technology, non-established banking and financial institutions, inaccurate government policies and structural rigidities which all prove that addressing poverty is not just a matter of capital. Peet and Hartwick (2015) posit that dependency theory seems totalizing and homogenising since it seems to put all developing world within one basket despite their apparent differences. As a result, dependency theory is unreliable in that it does not offer meaningful solutions to the problems developing countries face in development. The dependency theory in the context of NGOs and urban slums can be construed to mean that the existing provider/recipient relationship from usually international funded NGOs is likely to continue because of the power dynamics and possible lack of local strategies to deal with it. Lewis and kanji (2009) state that dependency theory is not directly connected to NGOs however NGOs being part of social movements are crucial forces for liberation and revolutionary change.

2.3.2 NGOs and neoliberalism

NGOs have gained prominence due to the apparent failure of the state to consolidate effective development policies particularly due to bureaucracy, unaccountability and irresponsibility to people’s needs (Farah, Kiamba and Mazongo, 2011; Bukenya and Hickey, 2014). Moreover, NGOs offered a more flexible funding channel offering a potentially higher chance of local-level implementation and grassroots participation since they are locally located and therefore closer to the marginalized people than most state agencies (Lewis and Kanji, 2009).

However, while donors and development organisations advocated for a reduced role of the state for market forces to take over, it was soon realized that in most African countries the private sector existed in small, profitable market niches therefore excluding the majority population (Bukenya and Hickey, 2014). As a result, development NGOs were singled out by donors as favorable alternatives in the drive to privatize provision of social services. In this regard they NGOs came in to fill in the gap that the market forces could not fill especially amongst the unreachable populations disadvantaged by poverty (Bratton, 1989). In this light,

Farah, Kiamba and Mazongo (2011) posit that the key objective of neoliberalism is to make people believe in the power of the markets as the most efficient allocator of production resources. Besides, neoliberalists contend that forces of demand and supply must be allowed to play a leading role to achieve an efficient and effective economy. Lewis and Kanji (2009)

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